There was no dearth of great guitar music in 1984.
From Van Halen and Judas Priest to Yngwie Malmsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the world had caught the guitar bug and there were plenty of landmark albums to feed the fever.
In addition to these great albums were some really great tours. Van Halen's 1984 and Monsters of Rock tours saw the band at their peak and were the last chance to see the group perform with David Lee Roth for 23 years. Kiss recaptured some their Seventies glory on the Animalize tour and Iron Maiden's World Slavery tour would be the band's longest and most expansive to date.
There were a handful of further noteworthy music moments in '84, such as the Deep Purple Mark II reunion and, of course, Menudomania reached Asia.
But enough about that! Back to the albums. Below are the ultimate guitar albums of 1984. Vote your favorite and check in next week to see who won the coveted number one spot.
“The experience of our work with Jimmy in a vibrant, electric, mystical, and powerful perspective”: Unreleased Jimmy Page/Rich Robinson composition set to feature in upcoming deluxe version of Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes: Live at the Greek
“The king of modern blues getting down and dirty (musically) with a former Van Halen singer”: January 2025 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
